While many neighborhoods in Allegheny County and in the Pittsburgh metro area were sited down in the valleys of the region, the people of Carrick took to the hills. Literally perched atop a ridgeline, this Pittsburgh neighborhood of only 1.6 square miles has views for miles in virtually every direction. Referred to as the ‘Hill Top’, Carrick is just within the city line on the southern edge of Pittsburgh.  Founded in 1904 and isolated up on its hill top, Carrick is a relatively unknown neighborhood amongst Pittsburghers.  Carrick, Irish for “The Rock” does not appear to have much Irish influence today, aside from the fact that it shares its name with a town in Ireland and has a mural on the wall of the local grocery store featuring a large rock situated in Ireland.

Brownsville Road, which sits atop the ridge, is Carrick’s main street and serves as a corridor from city to suburb—from Mt. Oliver to Brentwood. The road also supports pockets of commerce. Homes, which drop down from either side of the ridge, were built primarily in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s for the South Side mill workers who were looking for something a bit more ‘out in the country’. Now Carrick is considered an ‘urban’ section of the city.

Still, this neighborhood of less than 11,000 people does have a bit of a small-town feel and has a very family-oriented mind set, placing a premium on safety. Activities for children are the principal happenings over the course of the year and include Light Up Night, an Easter Egg hunt, the Corn Fest summer festival, and a Halloween parade. They have strong Boy and Girl Scout Troops, and the recreation center Philips Park has disc golf and a swimming pool. 

There is a wide range of local businesses in Carrick. Esther’s Homemade Candy has been carrying on their family candy-making tradition since 1973 (www.esthershomemadecandy.com).  Carl Colteryahn Dairy is the only operating milk processing dairy within the City of Pittsburgh, has been family owned and operated since 1917, and still resides on the original farmland which, not surprisingly has disappeared as the city grew around it (www.colteryahndairy.com).  Ann Shade opened her Dance Studio and Fitness business nearly 30 years ago in the neighborhood near where she grew up.  She especially likes Carrick because of the “normal people” like her that live and work there – who go to the same schools and shop at the same businesses as she. 

One can find many examples of generations of families living on the same street as one another. As of the 2000 census, nearly 60% of households in Carrick were families, and the observant neighborhood Block Watch group actively leads and participates in community outreach. Built landmarks include Carrick’s many churches such as St. Basil Roman Catholic Church, Concord Presbyterian Church, Zion Christian Church (formerly Union Baptist), and St. Pius X Byzantine Catholic Church, among others. There are also numerous cemeteries in and around the town including the Beth Abraham Jewish Cemetery and St. Adalbert’s Cemetery.

Accordingly, as in many other Pittsburgh localities, issues surrounding the area schools and education are of primary importance. One of Carrick’s most prominent local figures, Jean Fink, is said to have changed the face of the Pittsburgh school board. A caterer and mother of six, she led a campaign in the 1970s to have the appointed board replaced by an elected one; she was subsequently elected to the board and has been serving on it ever since. Fink has been a controversial voice taking strong stands on issues such as school closings. Carrick still has many schools including Carrick High School, a large landmark public high school which serves a large portion of the South End of the city.

According to Carrick native Natalia Rudiak, a 2006 candidate for Democratic Committeewoman and a student at the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, the neighborhood’s current assets include its very solid housing stock and a number of empty storefronts and office space in central areas that might act as prime locations for small, pioneering entrepreneurs. Located on the frequently trafficked Brownsville Road, these buildings appear to be in excellent condition—certainly the kind of spaces that Cool Space Locator would love to see filled. With some progressive thinking and some utilization of its position as a corridor town, hopefully Carrick can find a way to attract new interest in its existing empty spaces. 

Brownsville Road Businesses

St. Basil Credit Union and

Ann Shade Dance Studio & Fitness

at 1872 Brownsville Road

Carl Colteryahn Dairy

Entrance to St. Adalbert's Cemetery

Roosevelt Elementary School

(Pittsburgh Public Schools)

St. Basil Roman Catholic Church